Improving disaster preparedness through effective risk communication

Bernd ROHRMANN ( University of Melbourne)

= Project overview =

A research project financed by the Australian IDNDR Secretariat
within the International Decade of Natural Disaster Reduction. The
socio-psychological study focussed on bushfires.

In Australia, bushfires are particularly devastating natural
disasters. However, many residents in risk areas are insufficiently prepared for
fire events in technical and/or organizational and/or psychological terms.
Thus they need to be optimally informed about the hazard characteristics,
preventive measures and appropriate behaviors during the onset of a fire event,
and they must understand their own responsibility for fire preparedness.
Authorities have to compose pertinent emergency planning and communicate the
relevant information to residents and communities as a whole if the
vulnerability of exposed populations to natural disasters is to be reduced. The more
disaster management requires active involvement and participation of
residents the more vital become risk information/communication/education.
However, mere distribution of material is not enough - it is crucial that
communication efforts are effective, i.e., enhancing actual preparedness. This
requires socio-psychological expertise and critical outcome evaluation.

The focus of the project is to examine and consequently improve
current bushfire risk communication. In an experimental field study, two means
of risk information were investigated: (A) brochures distributed by
fire authorities to residents; and (B) briefings and group work within
campaigns such as "Community Fireguard". The outcomes of both (A) and (B) were
assessed according to evaluation criteria derived from risk communication
theory. The study design includes two sets of data collection: firstly,
two-phase surveys with residents, based on a standardized questionnaire; and
secondly, focus group discussions, bringing together bushfire experts and
interested lay-people. The study was conducted in 1998 and 1999.

The results from this research include the identification of
subjective barriers to accepting risk information and preconditions for effective
risk communication and empirically founded recommendations for future
bushfire preparedness campaigns.

>= Project outcomes =

The main conceptual outcome of this project is a model of the fire
risk communication process; click idp-mod
for a model presentation.